Irina Spalko & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
by Lolagemeow
Summary: Indy 4 from the perspective of Irina Spalko. Please review! Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nevada, 1957

Spalko was waiting at the airport for her car to pick her up. She had been telephoned the evening before by Colonel Dovchenko to confirm that they had indeed captured Dr Jones. She was not interested in how he had been captured yet, she would need a car and the ride would be long. She was to meet the rest of her men at Area 51, a remote army base in the middle of the Nevada desert. Colonel Dovchenko was already leading the rest of the soldiers there and they were to use American army vehicles to conceal their identities. She did not care how they took out any American soldiers that were there, just as long as they were gone by the time she got there.

"Colonel Spalko" She heard her name being called. Her car had arrived. She strode over without a word, handed her bags to the man who had appeared from the passenger side and then slid into the back seat without a word. The man who had just put her luggage in the boot of the car got back into the passenger side of the car before signalling the driver of the car to drive. They too had an American military vehicle. The man in the passenger side handed Irina a brown package with the American military uniform in it. She would change into it at the next stop. The men in the car were already fully kitted out. They rode in silence until they reached a service station. Irina slipped out of the backseat and changed into her uniform. She made sure that no one had seen her before slipping back out and into her car.

"Drive" Was all she said before handing the empty brown package back to the man in the passenger seat. The driver and the man now holding the empty brown paper in his lap kept giving each other funny looks before slipping a sly glance in their mirrors at Irina. She knew what they were doing and she knew what they were thinking. She considered reprimanding them for their ridiculous behaviour but she didn't want to give them the satisfaction of her having actually noticing their leering and ogling. Men were pigs in her opinion. She didn't want much to do with them if she could help it.

Not that she hadn't had much experience with men. She was quite the expert in that department; she just chose not to exercise it very often. She was a stunningly beautiful woman but it was almost wasted on her. Looks didn't mean anything to her. They didn't matter. She took great pride in her appearance and she was a perfectionist when it came to neatness but beauty to her wasn't a necessary thing. It was obviously useful in some situations and she wasn't above using her gender to take advantage of men in certain situations. If all she had to do was expose a little bit of leg to distract them then she would. She was not what men would call 'easy' however. She only did what was needed to be done to achieve her mission and her goal. Irina was not a malicious woman but she was devoted to the Soviet Union and would do anything to protect it. It was the least she could do after what it had done for her.

She had ensured that she had gotten a good night's sleep the night before so that she wouldn't need to sleep on the journey. She didn't trust those men. She would never let her guard down and the only person she remotely trusted even the slightest bit was Colonel Dovchenko. He had been a tough one to deal with at first but now he was firmly under her thumb and under her control. He wouldn't dare to come near her after the last time he tried to hit her. She gave him a lot more than he bargained for. Nobody treated her as if she was weak and defenceless and nobody could break her. This was a lesson that a lot of people learnt the hard way.

4 hours later they arrived at the army base. She could see some of her men dragging the remainders of the American soldiers that they had gunned down into the bushes. The men saluted her as they drove past. She pulled up to where Colonel Dovchenko was ordering his men to drag Dr Jones out of the boot of a car. She decided to wait in the car while Dovchenko interrogated Jones. The driver offered her a cigarette.

"I don't smoke" Was all she said in response to that. She decided to reveal herself when Dovchenko started to get a little bit too nasty too soon. She didn't want him beating Jones to death before she'd had a chance to speak to him herself. "Prasteete" She bellowed. She exited the car slowly, wanting to make her entrance to the scene as intimidating as possible. She knew that Dovchenko was scared of her and she wanted Jones to see the fear in his eyes as he saw her approaching. She adjusted her sunglasses before exiting the car and taking a long stroll towards Dovchenko who saluted her when she came to stand in front of him.

"Where was he found?" She asked, purposefully ignoring the prisoner until she was standing directly in front of him and able to make her authority clear.

"In New Mexico, he was digging in the dirt, looking for this stuff" Dovchenko said, retrieving a bag from the boot of the car and shaking the contents onto the ground. Irina didn't even bother to watch it fall before trudging through it and coming to stand before Jones.

"You're not from around here, are you?" He said, eyeing her up and down while she did the same to him.

"And where is it you would imagine I am from, Doctor Jones?" She asked, emphasising his name as if mocking him. She took her sunglasses off so that she was able to look him in the eye. She found that most people were intimidated by the icy blue glare that she bore when she spoke to them. She decided that this would be useful if she was going to assert her authority.

"Well by the way you're sinking your teeth into those wubble-u's I would say Eastern Ukraine" He grinned. She was reasonably impressed by this instant recognition.

"Highest marks. Colonel Doctor Irina Spalko" She said, taking off one glove and holding out her hand. He rejected her. She was not offended by this. She could tell that he was just trying to gain the upper hand. That was not going to happen.

"Three times, I have received order of Lenin, also hero of socialist labour. And why? Because I know things. I know them before anyone else. And what I do not know, I find out and what I need to know now, is in here" She said, placing a finger on his forehead. She was talking at him, not to him.

Irina's "abilities" were also a reason to fear her. Although not everyone believed that they were true, Stalin obviously had. A lot of her soldiers or men under her command called her a witch as she had been called in her childhood when she had displayed these abilities in the superstitious village she grew up in. They thought that she didn't know about her nickname but she knew everything. She heard what they said about her and she knew what they thought about her. Some of it disturbed her and most of it annoyed her. She had a very short temper and when she lost it they would wish that they had never been born. Although a lot of the soldiers didn't believe in her abilities, they still feared that there was a possibility that they were true. They were always careful.

Irina stared deeply into Jones' eyes, trying to peel back the exterior to reach what she truly desired. She knew that he knew where the box they needed to retrieve was and she was going to find it. She couldn't seem to crack open his mind. She closed her eyes and tried again but was awoken by the sound of chuckling. Jones was laughing slightly when he realised what she was trying to do. She smiled slightly to hide her frustration at her failure.

"You're a hard man to read Doctor Jones" She said, slapping his cheek three times.

"Ouch" He muttered, almost mocking her. She ignored this and turned to the side.

"So, we will do this… what is expression? Old fashion way. He will tell us. He will help us find what we seek" She said. Who she was actually talking to was not specified. She slipped her glove back on and walked past Jones, almost bumping into him. The men who had hacked into the door mechanisms called to her to tell her it was ready.

"Davai" She called back to them. The doors slid open, making a loud creaking sound. "This could be interesting" She thought to herself as she advanced towards Area 51.

**AU: So, I've had some reviews recently which say that Irina isn't really in character in any of my stories. I agree completely with this statement and this story is me trying to work on it. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think. I hope she is more in character in this story. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic 3 **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hangar 51

Irina led the group into hangar 51. Dovchenko followed close behind her as he always did. Although it was his job to protect her, sometimes he was a little overprotective. Jones and his bedraggled friend George McHale or "Mac" as they called him followed as well. They could have left Mac in New Mexico and just taken Jones but Irina always found it best to have someone to threaten. If Jones refused to help them she could always threaten his friend. She had done a lot of research on Jones and his adventures and she knew that Mac would be very useful.

"Jones, this is where you and your government hide all of your secrets, yes?" She barked harshly, pacing up and down in front of him.

"I've never seen this place before. I don't know what you're talking about" Jones said. Irina, with her back to him, paused and took a long intake of air. She knew that he would try to be difficult.

"Don't play dumb Jones, we all know that you know exactly what this place is and where the box we are looking for is. Do not treat me as if I am stupid, you must forget that I am not an American" She sneered.

"What box are you talking about?" Jones said, obviously choosing to ignore her comment about his compatriots. She went on to describe the box down to the last detail.

"What is in that box is very important to us Jones and you would make my job so much easier if you were to just tell us where it is" She growled.

"Well, even if I knew what you were talking about, I wouldn't help you and your commie scum" Jones said. Irina was trying hard to control her temper. She hated it when people spoke badly about her motherland and her compatriots. They had shielded her and given her a place where she felt wanted and a sense of belonging. She would do anything to protect it and fight for it. Jones obviously sensed this and was trying to wind her up so she didn't dare show her anger.

"Dovchenko!" She barked. Before Jones could even comprehend what was going on, Dovchenko had grabbed Mac by both arms and had a pistol pressed to his head. "Are you still in denial Jones? Do you still want to assert your dominance?" Irina grinned cruelly. She had gained the upper hand and she knew it. It gave her such a buzz. She heard Jones sigh.

"Okay, I'll help you. Don't worry Mac, I won't let anything happen to you" Jones said, trying to reassure his friend. Little did he know, Mac had other plans. Irina had been in contact with Mac prior to the execution of their plan. Mac was desperate for money and she took advantage of his greed for money and power. When the time was right, he would change his side. She didn't trust him completely but he was a brilliant asset. Jones trusted him which was very useful.

"I am glad that you have made the right choice Jones, I would hate to leave a mess for your lovely American friends to clean up" Irina said, sarcastically. Jones scoffed slightly.

"Have any of you guys got a compass? I need a compass" He barked. Irina stared at him blankly. What on earth did he want that for? "Oh for goodness sake! Bullets then? I need some bullets!" He yelled, exasperated. Dovchenko felt the need to translate that into Russian. The soldiers all found it incredibly funny for some reason. Irina wasn't about to join in with the stand-up comedy. Jones approached her, along with Dovchenko who wanted to stay close by apparently.

"I need bullets. Do you want my help or not?" He asked. She signalled for Dovchenko to eject some bullets out of his gun and hand them to Jones. Jones scowled at the both of them before climbing to the top of one of the stacks of boxes that filled the hangar.

"You had better not be 'taking the piss' Jones. I am not one for humour" Irina scowled.

"I gathered. If the box is as magnetic as you claim it is then the metal in this gunpowder should point the way" He said cracking open the bullets and tipping the powder into his hand before throwing it into the air. Irina watched on, mesmerised as the gunpowder floated through the air.

Jones led the way, barking commands as they navigated through the boxes. He stopped at one stack and asked for some pliers. He climbed to the stop and cracked open another bullet. He let the magnetic contents fall down the stack. Irina watched this disappear under it before calling to Dovchenko and her men to remove the boxes in front of it. She stood back as they removed all of the boxes to reveal the box she was looking for. She grinned to herself in self-satisfaction. She loved succeeding. Her men pulled the box out and carried it to the back of a jeep that some of her men had pulled up. Irina followed over.

She took a moment to address some of her men as she felt that they were not looking up to scratch. She noticed Dovchenko standing right behind her. She came to stand at the back of the jeep next to the box. Her sword, her weapon of choice, flew up and attached itself to it. She removed it from her belt and handed it to Dovchenko before watching one of her men undo the clips on the box. Her heart was racing as she moved him out of the way and climbed up onto the jeep. She opened the rest of the box herself before calling out for a knife. Her eyes were wide with anticipation, her heart thumping in her chest. This mission wasn't all about Stalin's dream or the motherland. It was about her and her undying desire for knowledge. It was another step closer to finding out why she was the way she was and why she was on this earth. It was a source of great excitement. Her hands almost shook with anticipation as she cut open the covering on the contents of the box. She had been waiting to lay eyes on it for such a long time and now she was finally here.

It was an Alien corpse. She and others in Russia had dissected others like it but they had found nothing exactly, what they would call, special about them. If Irina was correct in thinking, this one had a very special difference. The source of its great magnetism was its crystal skeleton. She had to take it back to Russia to find out but she had done a lot of research and had a lot of background knowledge. If she was right then she would be one step closer to finding the object of her dreams. The crystal skull. It was the key to everything she desired and hungered.

"Moyo Zoloste" She whispered, in complete awe. She was in such awe and disbelief in what she had found that she didn't notice Jones and Mac grabbing guns from her men. She turned around quickly when she heard the scuffle behind and her men all pointed their guns at Jones.

"You'd better drop the guns. I'll shoot her" Jones barked, aiming his gun at Irina. Irina stared him directly in the eye with a look of complete coldness and hatred. She could almost sense Dovchenko's anger and panic at the thought of his Colonel being shot down by Jones. The men all lowered their weapons but brought them back up again within minutes. Mac had changed sides. Just at the right time as well. She grinned in satisfaction as Mac confessed his sins to his best friend. He moved to join her men and pointed his gun at Indy.

"So Jones, when they write about you in the history books, what would you like me to tell them your last words were?" Irina grinned.

"I like Ike" He sneered.

"Put down gun" Dovchenko growled. Jones nodded before dropping his gun on the floor. It hit the floor and set of a gunshot, blasting through one of the soldiers feet and sending him bowling into Dovchenko. Jones used the momentary distraction to run off.

"After him you fools!" Irina yelled at her men. She quickly jumped into the driver's seat of the jeep and started the engine. She needed to leave with her prize unscathed. She was very successful until she noticed Jones swinging down from the ceiling by his bullwhip and just missing the back of her jeep. She watched in her mirror as he crashed into the jeep behind her and threw the two men inside out onto the floor. She panicked a little as he bumped into the back of her and leapt onto her jeep. She swerved to the side, trying to throw him off but he grabbed her shoulder and threw her out of the jeep and into a stack of crates. She was fuming. When she managed to pick herself up again, she ran over to the nearest soldiers and shouted to them.

"What are you doing!? Get to the exits and block them! He can't get out of here alive!" She yelled. She watched as Dovchenko chased after him and watched them disappear into a control room at the back. Luckily Mac and one of her men had stopped Jones in his tracks by crashing into his truck and the box containing the alien was unscathed. She breathed a sigh of relief as she laid eyes on it. She sent Mac down into the control room to see what was going on along with some of her men. Not long after she heard a loud boom, making her jump. She shook her head. Jones just couldn't help causing as much havoc as possible could he? She wondered if Dovchenko was okay. Mac came running back out.

"Help me!" She called to him. He looked over at her before running over to help lift the box out of the torn up jeep and into another truck. She walked over to the driver's side and started up the engine. She waited for Mac to get in before peering in the rear-view mirror. The real American soldiers had arrived and they were after them.

"You did well. We got what we came for" She murmured, not used to giving compliments or encouragement. She hit the accelerator and slipped out of the back exit. "What happened down there? Where is Jones?" She asked him, noticing that his clothes and hair were a little singed.

"Jones set off a rocket sled and he and Dovchenko were on it. I don't know where they are now" Mac breathed, obviously out of breath. Irina nodded an acknowledgement.

"I will follow the tracks and we will find Dovchenko" She murmured. They drove along in silence until they reached the end of the tracks. She saw Dovchenko calling out to them on the side of the road.

"Jones has disappeared; I have sent men after him!" He called to Irina. Irina was a little annoyed but she wouldn't be needing Jones for a while. Besides, she had a plan to get him back when she did need him again. All in good time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ship headed back to Russia, 1957

Spalko and the alien corpse were travelling back to Russia on the same ship. Due to limited space and sleeping arrangements, she and Dovchenko were to share their quarters. Irina was used to sharing a room with Dovchenko. He was her second in command and it was useful to have him nearby when discussing important tactic or plans for the next day or the mission they were on. She did not mind sharing her quarters with other men as long as they looked and didn't touch. The only time she had even let any of her men or fellow personnel even touch her when she was sleeping was when they needed to keep her warm. When sleeping outside or during cold winters on missions, they would all huddle together like penguins to keep warm. Irina, being the only woman, was taken the most care of in these circumstances.

"I would like to congratulate you Colonel, on your success at finding what we sought" Dovchenko said before giving her a curt nod. Irina was sliding her suitcase under her bed and arranging her sleeping area.

"Well, it was a joint effort" She said after a few moments. That was all that was said for the next twenty minutes.

"Mac has made it to Chicago successfully, he will keep us up to date on where Jones is headed" Dovchenko said, breaking the silence. They had received a telegram informing them of this.

"Good. We need to go back to Russia and examine the New Mexico specimen, get a hold of a Mr Harold Oxley and a Ms Mary Williams and then wait for Jones to come looking for them if we can't get anything out of them. We need to find that skull somehow and Oxley is going to be our greatest asset. He knows a lot about the skull and where to find Akator. Mary will serve as a backup" Irina stated. She often listed her plans to Dovchenko. It helped her to lay them out and examine them properly. She could find any errors or problems this way. She never ever left anything to chance. She planned everything meticulously and went over it over and over again. She found this way of thinking served her very well.

Later on, Dovchenko found himself unable to sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed while Irina slept peacefully on the other side of the room. He envied her ability to turn out like a light. She was quite a light sleeper which was very useful for her because she could sense if something was wrong. Dovchenko looked over at the clock next to his bedside. It was 2:00am, hours away from daylight and their arrival in Russia. He huffed to himself and lay staring up at the ceiling. He could hear Irina breathing soundly and softly from across the room. He smiled to himself and turned over to look at her bed. He could see the outline of her shape against the shadows. He wondered if she was dreaming and if she was, what was she dreaming about? Did he ever fill her dreams? Did he ever cross her mind now and again?

He had always had a thing for her. Since the first day they met. It wasn't anything like the crushes the other men had on her. They just had a sickening desire for her body, nothing else. Dovchenko was close to her and he enjoyed her company. Her beauty sometimes dazzled him and he found himself unable to speak if he looked into her eyes for too long. She would always turn a blind eye even though he knew that she noticed it. Irina knew everything and didn't miss a thing. He knew for a fact that she knew how he felt about her. He doubted that she would ever feel the same way. She was a single woman. She worked on her own terms and in her own way. He couldn't see her ever having a relationship with anyone.

She was too single minded and driven to a certain goal. He knew that deep down she doubted herself sometimes but she was fuelled by her goal. She talked of it often and he never spoke of it to anyone else. She had obviously trusted him with the truth. She wanted to find out what her purpose in the world was. Why had she been given these abilities? What purpose did they have? She knew that the crystal skull was the key to answering all of these questions. If she had all of the knowledge in the universe then she could understand herself and her purpose. Maybe she wouldn't doubt herself so much and it might give her some closure. Soviet domination was also a goal of hers. It was a shared goal along with Josef Stalin. Stalin had seen something in her and her abilities. He believed that she was the key to his dream. The crystal skull could give her and the Soviet Union the knowledge and the power to control minds which would ultimately lead to them being in control of everyone and everything. This thought fuelled her desire and made her want to carry on Stalin's dream even after his death in 1953.

Still finding himself unable to sleep, Dovchenko got up. He made sure that Irina was definitely asleep before heading over to her side of the room. He often watched her sleep. It gave him peace of mind that nothing could happen to her while he was watching over her. He would protect her for as long as he could. He settled himself down on the end of her bed slowly, being careful not to make his presence known to her. Her face was illuminated by the moonlight. Her bed was by the window. This was the only time that her face relaxed and looked serene. He marvelled at her beauty as she breathed in and out soundly. She would never be his. She would never be anyone's. This deeply upset him but the fact that he was allowed to be close to her made him feel better. He didn't dare to touch her. He knew that she would wake up and her sword would be pointed at his throat in no time. He looked over at it resting at her bedside.

She was a brilliant swordswoman. She was fantastic at fencing and she had even tried to teach him once so that she could duel with him but he had given up due to lack of understanding and talent. She was highly trained in martial arts as well. He found this out the hard way. When Irina had first joined the KGB, all of the men thought that they could mess her around and walk all over her because she was a woman. They all claimed that they had caught her sleeping with various members high up in the KGB so that she could make her way up the ranks.

Not long after she had joined, Dovchenko lost his temper with her because she had stood up to him. He was walking down the hallway, not looking where he was going and he nearly knocked her flying. He blamed her for it and started shouting at her. She shouted back at him and called him a "careless oaf" for not looking where he was going and blaming her. He tried to hit her, thinking that she was just a little weak woman and she had blocked him and smacked him twice as hard and three times as much. He had eventually swallowed his pride and apologised to her afterwards. Whether she accepted it or not was unknown because she slammed the door in his face along with a few expletives. She was okay with him the next day though.

Irina stirred a little in her sleep but didn't wake. She was sleeping on her stomach with her head turned to the side. Dovchenko could see the soft, pale skin of her back in the moonlight. He desperately wanted to touch it but didn't have the courage to. Some of her covers had slipped down so he pulled the duvet back up to her shoulders slowly before deciding to go back to bed. He took one last look at her before turning over and falling back to sleep.

**AU: I would like to thank GraciaJavert and StormwalkerofLorien for their great support and guidance! I really appreciate any reviews I get, good or bad so please leave one! I know this chapter is a little shorter but I am going back to school next week and I don't know how much I will be able to get done so I thought I'd treat you to two chapters this week **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Moscow, 1957

Spalko had arrived in Moscow over four hours ago and was just going over the findings from the alien dissection. They had found a number of interesting things and she now had to formalise a report to show their findings. The dissection had confirmed what Irina had already suspected, the alien's skeleton was pure crystal. She felt a sense of self-satisfaction at having got the job done and proving her theories to be correct. She wore a smug grin on her face as she exited the dissection room and made her way back to the base where her office was. She had to go over the findings with Dovchenko before writing a report and handing it in to her superiors. Dovchenko was already waiting outside her office for her.

"Good afternoon Colonel" He said, standing and saluting her as he saw her approaching.

"Good afternoon Dovchenko" She said with a curt nod. She opened her office door and waved him in.

"So did you find anything interesting?" Dovchenko asked. She gestured for him to sit down as she took a seat at her desk.

"Many things" She said, slapping the findings on the desk in front of him. He picked them up and skimmed over them.

"So your theory proved to be correct" Dovchenko said with a small smile.

"Of course it did Dovchenko. As you should already know I am never wrong when it comes to my theories" She said. He nodded.

"It was foolish of me to even question you. I apologise Colonel" He said.

"Apology accepted" She said.

"So you need to write a report on all of this now I'm guessing" Dovchenko said. She nodded.

"Of course! This is our most successful dissection yet! I am going to want it documented and written down on paper even if the Kremlin don't" Irina said.

"They will be very pleased" Dovchenko said.

"They should be" Irina said.

"How about a celebratory drink before you start your report?" Dovchenko asked, revealing a bottle of vodka from his coat. She smirked at him.

"Are you trying to get me drunk now Dovchenko?" She said raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not Colonel! You would be in no fit state to write a report if I did that" He said.

"Indeed…maybe just this once. But only one glass! Any more than that would be very irresponsible and unprofessional of someone in my position" She warned. She pulled out two glasses from one of the drawers in her desk.

"You can prepared" Dovchenko smirked.

"Are you cheeking me Dovchenko?" Irina asked.

"Absolutely not. It would be foolish of me to mess with someone of your superiority and authority" He said. She nodded.

"That is very good to hear" She said. He poured some vodka into each glass. Irina nodded a thank you and took hers. He watched as she took a sip and rubbed her lips together. His thoughts ran away with him as she turned her head to look out of the window. Her face was very angular with sculpted cheekbones and an angled jawline. The paleness and smoothness of her skin softened them a little. He thought back to the night before when he had watched her sleeping. She'd looked so serene and relaxed. Not like she did now, her features hardened when she was awake. She never wore make up and if she did she obviously wore very little. Dovchenko didn't think she needed it anyway; she was beautiful just as she was. He smiled at the thought.

"Are you aware of the fact that I can read minds Dovchenko?" Irina said, making him jump as she awoke him from his daydream.

"Yes, very aware" He said.

"Well maybe you should be more guarded of your thoughts when you are around me then" She said with a smirk. His heart sank. Oh crap.

"I'm sorry Colonel! When I daydream my thoughts…they just run away with me" He said.

"I had noticed" She said.

"What do you know?" He asked.

"You watched me sleeping last night and you have certain…desires" She said, sitting on the edge of her desk in front of him. He looked down.

"A-And how do you feel about that?" He asked, fidgeting awkwardly.

"You can look but you cannot, under any circumstances, touch" She said.

"You don't mind me looking at you then" He said.

"No. As long as it is appropriate then it does not bother me" She said. He nodded curtly.

"Of course" He said. She downed the rest of her vodka while he did the same.

"You may leave now Dovchenko" She said. He nodded and got up.

"Goodbye Colonel" He said. She nodded curtly at him and then watched as the door shut. She rolled her eyes and started making some notes for her report.

"Men" She muttered to herself. She finished typing her report an hour later. She didn't have to hand it in until later that day so she decided to just relax in her office. Something she didn't normally do. She didn't really have anything else to do so she picked a book off of the shelf in the corner of the room and sat down to read. She hadn't been reading for long when she heard a knock at the door. She huffed to herself.

"No peace and quiet for five minutes" She muttered to herself. "Come in!"

The door opened slowly. It was Liev, a fellow Colonel. He was very handsome with dark hair and brown eyes. "Yes? What do you want?" Irina asked impatiently.

"Afternoon Colonel Spalko, just wondered if you wanted some company" He said. She looked at him in amusement.

"That's not why you came at all is it, sit down" She said. He looked at her feigning surprise for little more than a second before giving up and sitting down. He shook his head slowly.

"How did you know?" He asked.

"I know things Liev and even if I didn't know things I would still be able to see right through you" She said. He looked down.

"Yes…I should have known" He said.

"What did you really come here for then?" She asked.

"I was…wondering if you were free tonight" He said. She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And why was that?" She asked.

"Well I wanted to take you out for a drink" He said. She rested her chin on top of her hands.

"You must have some courage asking a woman in my position that" She said. He nodded.

"It took a lot of guts for me to come down here Colonel Spalko" He said, looking down at his feet. She looked at him for a moment before speaking.

"You should know that I would not normally develop a personal relationship with a colleague but if it were for…business reasons then I might consider taking you up on your offer" She said. He perked up a little. "But only on business" She asserted.

"Strictly business, I assure you Colonel" He said.

"I will hold you to that. Pick me up at 7pm, here is my address" She said, scribbling on a piece of paper. He nodded.

"I shall see you later then" He said. She nodded curtly and then watched as he left. She wouldn't have normally taken up such an offer but he was a very handsome man and seemed good hearted enough. She was sure that she could keep him under control. She was not however willing to risk everything she had worked for and loved for a personal relationship. She would make that very clear to him and if she was to have any kind of relationship with him she would assure that no one knew about it. That was highly unlikely though. She wasn't the romantic type.

After she had successfully delivered her report to the Kremlin and accepted their congratulations she went back to her small flat not far from the city centre. It was very convenient for work purposes. She peeled off her uniform and sank into a hot bath. She liked to have a bath most days after work. It was the perfect opportunity to clear her head and think about things. On this particular occasion she was thinking about the reasoning behind Liev's asking her out. She refused to believe at this stage that he really really liked her because she knew that most men were only interested in her because of her looks and not her 'good humour'. It never lasted long. When they realised she wasn't going to shag them they would usually lose interest. She was sure that Liev would do the same but she was relying on the small part of her that thought maybe this time would be different and he would prove her wrong. That would be a first.

After her bath she pulled some leftovers out of the fridge and heated them up for dinner. She liked the solitude she got from living alone but it could get a little depressing at times. Especially at times like Christmases and birthdays. She did however like that she could do what she wanted when she wanted and she didn't have to bother about anyone else. She was the type of person who needed her own space when she needed it and she didn't like people in her face all of the time which was one of the many reasons why she had never had a successful relationship. She was too single minded.

After her meal she dressed herself in a black spaghetti strap dress and matching heels. She felt like letting her feminine side out for the evening. She pulled a black coat over the top of her dress and then sat on the sofa and waited for Liev to come. Sure enough, at 7 on the dot, there was a knock on the door. She waited a moment before answering, not wanting to look too eager. She opened the door to see Liev stood on the doorstep with a small bunch of flowers.

"I hope you like them" He smiled.

"Oh thank you" She said, genuinely surprised. She put them on the table by the side of the door and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

"You look nice" He smiled. She nodded a thank you and let him walk her to the bar which was just across the street. "What would you like?" He asked when they'd found a table.

"Whatever you're having" She said, taking her coat off and taking a seat. He nodded and went off to the bar. She adjusted her coat on the chair and straightened her dress out. When she looked back up to glance at the bar she caught Liev looking at her with a small smile on his face. He quickly looked down when she looked up but she had caught him. She didn't quite know what to think of him if she was honest. He came back a few moments later with their drinks.

"Here we are" He said, handing her her drink and sitting down.

"Thank you" She said. They sat in silence for a moment before Liev spoke again.

"So you don't do this very often?" He asked.

"I don't do this at all" She said, sipping her drink.

"Oh? But you must have men falling at your feet all the time wanting to take you out" He said.

"Why do you say that?" She asked.

"Well I hope you don't mind me saying this but you are a very beautiful woman" He said.

"Why thank you Liev but those men only want one thing" She said.

"Do you think I'm like that?" He asked.

"I don't know what to think Liev and I don't have to think about it because this is strictly on business terms" She said.

"I know I know but if you were to think about it you should know that I'm not like that. I was treated like that in my last relationship and I am not about to do the same to another woman" He said.

"I should hope so" She said.

"So if you don't mind me asking, have you ever been in a relationship?" He asked. She glared at him.

"No, you should know by now Liev that I am not the relationship type" She said sternly.

"I hope to change that" He said.

"Well you can only try" She said. He moved his hand slowly so that he could stroke the back of her hand with his fingers.

"I will try my hardest" He said. She moved her hand away.

"Do you not like being touched or something?" He asked.

"I just don't want anyone from work to see us" She said.

"Oh yes, the rules say we can't have anything to do with each other" He said. She nodded.

"And I am not willing to risk my career and my work for romance" She said.

"I understand" He said. She nodded.

"That is good to hear" She said.

"But you should know that I am for such a beautiful woman like you. I have never met anyone like you before and I am not about to let you get away from me" He smiled.

"I should not be accepting such personal comments from a colleague" She said.

"No but you are. You shouldn't be out with me here but you are. You know that this is not strictly on business but you are still here. There must be some hope for me yet" He smiled. For once Irina Spalko was lost for words. "I know you Irina, better than you think. You don't want to get too close to anyone because you are so single minded. You don't want to open up your heart because you are supposed to be the ice cold woman that you are always perceived to be. You need to be authorative and in charge, you can't be seen romancing with some guy. Especially not a colleague. I know I have to earn your trust and I promise I will if you give me the time" He said.

"Look Liev, I am going to Peru on a mission in a few weeks. I need to stay focused" She said.

"I understand but until then?" He asked. She deliberated for a few moments.

"I'll think about it okay" She said. She couldn't believe what she was saying but she couldn't deny that what he was telling her was the truth. The only reason she was even considering it was because she knew that he was not prepared for the consequences that would come from anyone finding out about anything going on between them. She could read his mind like a book and that reassured her. If she saw anything cloudy in there then she would cut it off immediately. They finished their drinks and Liev walked her home.

"I guess this is goodnight then" He said.

"Yes" She said. He took her hand and kissed it gently.

"Well goodnight then" He smiled.

"Goodnight" She nodded. As he walked off she called him.

"Yes?" He replied.

"You should know that I'll never be anyone's…girlfriend or…lover" She said. He laughed.

"Well there's no harm in trying" He smiled.

"I admire your persistence" She said.

"And I admire yours. Goodnight Irina" He called as he walked down the stairs.

"Goodnight Liev" She called back. Then she shut the front door.


End file.
